Toyota FT-86 and Subaru BRZ coupes finally revealed

Well, they will be. But we’ll have to wait until next month's Tokyo motorshow...

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It's been a long time coming. Toyota and Subaru have announced that they'll be showing their co-developed Toyota FT-86 and Subaru BRZ sports coupes at the Tokyo motor show next month. Finally.

They go on display ahead of their UK launches next summer, and, if the numbers come correct, we reckon they may well salvage both companies' currently rather dull images.

Both get a Subaru-derived flat-four engine and six-speed manual ‘box, with the option of a six-speed auto. Though ticking that one would be unbridled heresy. Output differs between the marques - the Scooby BRZ gets "less than 300bhp" while the FT-86 dangles around the 200bhp mark.

Underneath, they'll be identical, both getting limited-slip differentials and independent suspension. On the outside, they'll be differentiated by grills, badges and wheels.

The FT-86 especially is designed to appeal to the drifters - the stability control system even allows a dab of sideways before it tells you off. It'll be lithe, too - Toyota says it's 200kg lighter than a VW Scirocco (around 1100kg). It gets some trick suspension refinements, too - top-spec dampers and Euro-biased handling. Price? Around £20,000. Which seems very reasonable.

Details on the Subaru are a bit hazier. But we do know that it won't be four-wheel drive and will be a touch dearer - around £25,000, though no numbers have been confirmed - on account of the extra 100-odd bhp.

Both sound pretty promising. And we've been waiting a quite a while... But which would you buy, TopGear.commers?